Meanwhile, Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports Kesler remains the top target of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Also, as Phily.com passes along, the Flyers have put together a "substantial" effort to acquire him:

Time is running short to put together a deal of this magnitude, but with all the reported activity, it certainly isn't out of the question that Kesler will be on the move.

Ryan Callahan

Locked in an intense battle to reach the postseason in the competitive Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers aren't likely to Ryan Callahan. The 28-year-old is the team's captain for crying out loud.

Still, stranger things have happened when parties are locked in a contract negotiation. The Rangers and Callahan have been working on a new deal, but the whole process has been strained by how public it has been.

NHL.com's Dan Rosen believes this will result in the Rangers making a foolish decision to trade Callahan

I'm not buying that, however. Signs are pointing towards Callahan and the Rangers closing the divide in their negotiations.

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com helps explain:

Sources confirm that Ryan Callahan has softened somewhat of late in his contract demands, but as of Monday morning he's still not close to a deal with the Rangers. Recently, the Rangers captain dropped his term request from seven years, which had been a major sticking point, to six years, sources confirmed. But the money he's asking, somewhere just south of $6.5 million, a source said, remains too much money for the Rangers, who I believe would do a six-year, $6 million per year contract. Doesn't seem as though they're that far apart at this point. But if that remaining gap doesn't close further over the next couple of days, the Rangers seem intent to trade him.

TSN's Bob McKenzie also reported on the progress:

On Callahan, I'd have to think it's getting very close to make or break time, close gap and get contract done...or failing that, move him.